


The Haunting of Berlin's House

by aflawedfashion



Category: Defiance (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash, Halloween, Haunted House, Post-Series, mild scariness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 13:45:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12459027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aflawedfashion/pseuds/aflawedfashion
Summary: When Berlin and Irisa enter Berlin's new house, they find it has an unexpected inhabitant.





	The Haunting of Berlin's House

At precisely 11 o’clock on the morning of November 1st, 2051, a series of strange events began in the town of Defiance. On that deceptively ordinary day, Berlin Rainer stood with freshly pressed keys clutched in her hand and her girlfriend Irisa at her side. 

“So, what do you think?” Berlin asked, a broad, innocent smile on her face, naive to what lay ahead. She was too proud of purchasing her first house to consider that it might not be everything she expected.

“It's nice,” Irisa answered, but Berlin was too absorbed in fantasies of homeownership to notice Irisa’s long pause before speaking. 

With her hands shoved in her pockets, Irisa stared at the old-fashioned house with the same blank face that had been perplexing Berlin since the first time she mentioned buying a house. Finding the meaning behind Irisa’s stony looks had always been a fun challenge for Berlin, but not when she feared the look held utter disinterest in something she genuinely cared about.

“It’s more than nice,” Berlin said, folding her arms against her body as a brisk breeze swirled around them. “It’s gorgeous, a house straight out of a Hollywood film.” Berlin finally looked into Irisa’s eyes, trying to hide her eagerness, trying to match Irisa’s expression.

“It is… large,” Irisa replied, her red hair whipping in front of her face.

“Roomy,” Berlin corrected.

“Right, well, it’s freezing out here.” Irisa tugged gently on Berlin’s sleeve, tossing her a playful glance. “Show me your unnecessarily large house because if this is what you want, I’ll be happy for you… as long as it has heat.”

“Thank you,” Berlin said, brushing Irisa’s hair out of her face. “But what do you want?”

Irisa shook her head in confusion. “Why does it matter what I want? It’s your house.” 

“It should matter because…” Berlin fumbled over her words, wishing she and Irisa were more in sync about their future. “Look, you’re getting closer to 30 with every passing day. You must want something for yourself. Do you really want to live with your father forever?”

“He’s my family.”

“I know,” Berlin said, taking a breath as she struggled to summon every bit of sensitivity she could find within herself. “I know that after he disappeared on the Omec ship, you thought you would never see him again. And then you did, and now you don’t want to lose him again.”

“But?”

“But I think there are better places to live than above the lawkeeper’s office in your matching shipping containers.” Berlin smiled, trying to show that she cared, that her words weren’t meant to be the harsh criticism she knew they seemed to be. “Besides, he practically lives with Amanda these days. It’s time to move forward - forward to a house with a real bedroom, a house with a kitchen.”

“I like my kitchen.”

“It’s next to a jail cell.”

“I don’t understand the problem with that.” Irisa shrugged, a confused look etched on her face. 

“Forget it.” Berlin sighed. “Of course you don’t.” She didn't fully know what she wanted to get out of Irisa or if there actually was anything wrong with having a kitchen next to a jail cell when it didn’t bother her. But one thing she knew with absolute certainty was that she was fighting a losing fight that she couldn’t let ruin her day. “Just come look at my house.”

Berlin took Irisa’s hand in her own, leading her down the stone path, pausing to pet the black cat perched on the porch railing. “Hey buddy,” Berlin said.

“Whose cat is that?” Irisa asked, watching him jump down and purr as he brushed against her legs.

“I don’t know, but I think he comes with the house. He’s always here.”

Irisa smiled at the small animal with more interest than she had given the house itself. “He’s cute.”

“Cute and friendly,” Berlin said as she opened the door, ushering Irisa inside. “I think I’m a cat owner now.”

“We should get him some toys,” Irisa said, her words trailing off as her attention was immediately caught by a photo of a redheaded Judy Garland at the base of the staircase.

“The previous owner spent years salvaging parts from old St. Louis before it was destroyed,” Berlin said. “They found that photo in an old display dedicated to the history of St. Louis.

“Who is she?”

“You don’t know Judy Garland?” 

Irisa shook her head.

“We’ll have to fix that,” Berlin said, reaching to straighten the frame. “We can watch Meet Me in St. Louis as a housewarming party. Invite Amanda, Nolan, Poole, Alak. It’ll be fun.”

Irisa nodded, not saying a word as she continued to stare at the photo.

“Look, I know that this isn’t your kind of house,” Berlin said to fill the silence. “That this isn’t your kind of fun.” 

“I’ll be there,” Irisa said, turning to face Berlin with a smile. “I’ll even bring popcorn.” Berlin knew Irisa was faking her enthusiasm, but she appreciated the effort, an effort Irisa wouldn’t make for everyone.

“Thank you.” Berlin brushed her lips against Irisa’s in a soft kiss. “You can be sweet in your own strange way.”

Irisa diverted her eyes, embarrassed by the smile taking over her face. “Don’t go getting soft on me,” she said, her eyes barely meeting Berlin’s.

“Me? Soft?” Berlin pointed to her chest, her eyes wide. “We can go around back and fight it out if you need me to prove just how not soft I am.”

Irisa laughed. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“You sure? It could be just like old times.” 

“Shut up.” Irisa rolled her eyes as she turned away with a grin on her face. “I want to see the second floor,” she added, already making her way up the stairs.

“The view is amazing,” Berlin called after her. “You can see the whole town from the patio.”

Berlin followed Irisa into one of the bedrooms. Without any furniture, the house seemed like a blank slate to Berlin, the perfect combination of the old world and the new for her to build her life around.

Berlin lead Irisa to the window, intending to show her the view, but Irisa’s attention quickly shifted to a small book on the window sill.

“Lillian,” Irisa said, reading the name engraved on the lavender cover.

Berlin looked over Irisa’s shoulder, brushing her red hair to the side to get a better look. “It looks like a journal.”

“Maybe the last owner of this house forgot it here.” Irisa glanced at Berlin. “You should return it. I know I wouldn’t want my journal left behind.”

Berlin took the journal from Irisa’s hands. One look at the yellowed paper and faded ink, and she knew the owner of the journal was long gone. “Unless the person who lived in this house before me was 200 years old, this wasn’t theirs.”

“Maybe a relative.”

“Maybe.” Berlin frowned, unconvinced the journal she held belonged to anyone in Defiance or someone anyone in Defiance had ever known. “But it was probably found in St. Louis like so much else in here.”

Irisa folder her arms, glaring at Berlin with unmistakable meaning. “You want to read it, don’t you.”

“Only a little,” Berlin said, suddenly feeling guilty despite believing there was nothing wrong with reading the journal. 

Irisa tilted her head to the side, not needing to say a single word. Berlin already knew what she was thinking. 

“Ok, fine, only a lot.” Berlin held the book to her chest. “This is a first-hand glimpse into the past. Do you know how rare that is? The archivists in the E-Rep used to pay good money for this kind of thing - not as much as they paid for good arktech, but the history nerds had a budget too.”

Irisa shifted her feet, frowning at the book. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Whoever wrote this is long dead.” Berlin carefully turned the page as she spoke. “They’d probably be glad to have someone remember them.”

“Hmmm…” Irisa muttered. “I’m glad you read Irathient about as well as a preschooler.” She crossed her arms uncomfortably as she watched Berlin sift through the journal.

“I know how you feel about privacy.” Berlin looked up, distracted from her snooping by Irisa’s discomfort. “But after you're dead, I’m sure someone will be interested in learning about your life, about what it was like in the years after the Pale Wars. Wouldn’t you want that? Wouldn’t you want to leave a legacy behind, a real legacy, not those ridiculous novels Mordecai writes about a fictional version of you?”

“I guess I would…” Irisa answered truthfully, her slow, hesitant words betraying a hint of lingering doubt.

“See, it’s fine that we read this,” Berlin said as Irisa’s attention drifted.

Irisa nodded perfunctorily, turning her head towards the door as she heard a faint, rhythmic sound in the hall, like the footsteps of a child or a small adult attempting to sneak up on them. 

Leaving Berlin and her prying eyes alone, she cautiously approached the door, her heart racing, her fingers reaching for her knives. With one swift motion, she pulled open the door, ready to attack, but the hallway was empty.

Irisa looked from side to side, a cool breeze engulfing her. “Berlin,” she said as the hair on her arms stood on end. “Did you hear anything?”

“Just you.” 

“I think you forgot to close the door downstairs.” Irisa shivered in the cold. “Maybe the cat got in.”

“No, I definitely closed it,” Berlin answered.

Irisa narrowed her eyes, taking slow, deliberate steps into the hallway. She knew with absolute certainty that there was something or someone in the house, if not the cat… “Hello?” she called, once again hearing a strange noise.

Fighting the nagging voice in the back of her head that demanded she run away, Irisa followed the sound and pushed open the squeaky door to one of the other rooms. 

Stepping through the doorframe, her feet seemed caught in quicksand. Her head grew dizzy, but she dragged herself forward, the voice in the back of her head now screaming that she grab Berlin and run as far away as they could. 

A dark shadow of indeterminate origin loomed over her. Irisa blinked, staring into the darkness, too crippled by fear to look away. Then, a bright burst of light forced her eyes closed, the words “Stay away” flashing through her mind. 

Irisa gasped for breath, the light disappearing as quickly as it came. She peeled her eyes open, expecting to see something… or someone standing in front of her, but she was alone. 

She stepped in a slow, cautious circle,  her heart racing, her jaw tightly clenched. Scanning every inch of the room for a sign of life, she tried to convince herself it had been a fear-induced hallucination, but she knew the truth in her heart. A heavy stillness fell over her, but she wasn’t alone.

Across the hall, Berlin flipped through the journal, completely absorbed in her reading, completely oblivious to Irisa’s panic.

Berlin smiled as she read a particularly juicy tidbit about the author’s marriage, but before she could reach the end, Irisa practically slammed into her as she ran into the room.

“Just put that back,” Irisa blurted out, her words slurring together as she grabbed the journal from Berlin’s hands and returned it to the windowsill. She linked her arm with Berlin’s, yanking her away from the book as if it were on fire.

Berlin stumbled as she followed Irisa. “Are you ok?” she asked, furrowing her brow and searching Irisa’s face for clues to what was happening. 

“I just I think we should leave,” Irisa said, her eyes wide and terrified.

“Why?” Berlin asked, worry and fear tangling together in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t like Irisa to outwardly display that kind of fear unless they were in a truly dire situation.

“I think…” Irisa hesitated a moment before continuing. “I think we’re in a haunted house.”

“What?” Berlin scoffed, the tension leaving her body. “Jesus, Irisa, I thought something was legitimately wrong.” 

“I’m not joking,” Irisa said. “Somebody doesn’t want us here, doesn’t want us reading that...” Irisa glanced at the windowsill.

Berlin, turned her head, following Irisa’s gaze. “The journal?”

“Yes.”

“Irisa,” Berlin calmly stated as she placed her hands on Irisa’s forearms. “The woman who wrote that journal died long before this house was built. If she’s haunting any house, it’s not this one.”

“Why can’t a ghost haunt a journal?” Irisa asked, looking at Berlin as if she wanted a serious answer, an answer that would ease her fears over what she had seen. “Why wouldn’t she leave her house with her things?”

“Because that’s not how it works,” Berlin said, knowing it wasn't a particularly good answer, but she didn’t have a better one. She didn’t know how to convince Irisa that what she thought she saw wasn’t a ghost, not when Berlin hadn’t witnessed the event herself.

“I don’t know how it’s supposed to work, or how it works in all those movies you watch, but I do know that something happened in that room, something I’ve never experienced before, and I’ve had visions from arktech gods and PTSD induced hallucinations. That was something else.”

“I believe that,” Berlin said.

“Then let's leave,” Irisa pled, taking a step forward as she prepared to run.

“I’m not leaving without seeing for myself.” Berlin headed towards the hallway. “Which room?”

“Down the hall to the left,” Irisa answered, “but I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“If all this ghost wants is for us to leave the journal alone, then we’ve done that,” Berlin said, approaching the room with Irisa reluctantly following three paces behind her. “We should have nothing to worry about.”

Berlin pushed open the squeaky door, surprising herself with the sudden burst of fear running through her veins. “Hello,” she called. “Any ghosts in here?”

Berlin and Irisa exchanged a glance as they waited in silence for a reply, but none came. There was no noise, no cool breeze, no frightening message.

“If there was a ghost, I think it’s gone,” Berlin said. 

“It’s still not safe in here,” Irisa said, taking Berlin’s hand to leave. 

“Just wait a minute.” Berlin stroked Irisa’s arm, trying to calm her nerves. “I believe you saw something, but I don’t know if I believe it was a ghost. There’s no ghost in here.”

“Then what was it?”

“I don’t know.” Berlin shook her head. “Maybe a kid was playing a prank on you. Maybe the cat jumped through the window and knocked something over…. Did you have breakfast with Amanda?” she asked, smiling to ease the tension, but only half joking. “Drink too much scotch before 10 am? You know you can’t keep up with her.”

“I’m completely sober,” Irisa stated. 

“Ok.” Berlin nodded with no excuse left not to give Irisa’s story a chance. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe this house is haunted, but I’m not afraid of ghosts, and you shouldn’t be either. Dead people can’t hurt us, not physically anyway.”

“We can’t know that.” Irisa tugged on Berlin’s arm again, but Berlin held firm.

“Since when do you run away from your problems? That’s what I do, not you. You don’t read other people’s journals, and you stay to fight when you need to fight. You’re the better person in this relationship, and we both know that.”

“I can’t fight a ghost,” Irisa said, her voice heavy and defeated. 

“Sure you can.” Berlin wrapped her arms around Irisa’s waist, pulling their bodies together. “If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you can take on anything and survive.”

“Even ghosts?” 

“Even ghosts.” 

A hint of a smile tugged on Irisa’s lips. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Irisa’s smile grew, her eyes sparkling as she paused a moment before speaking. “But if what you were hinting at earlier is that you want me to move in with you… that’s not happening if there’s a ghost in this house.”

Berlin’s smile instantly matched Irisa’s, her heart skipping a beat in shock over Irisa’s words. “But if there isn’t a ghost...” Berlin trailed off as her hailer chirped. 

“I’m not saying anything definitive,” Irisa said, a devious smile on her face, clearly enjoying teasing Berlin as she watched her pull her hailer out of her pocket. “Except that I won’t live with a ghost.”

Berlin wanted to ignore the call, but as soon as she read Amanda’s name on the screen, she knew she couldn’t. “What’s up?” she asked into the little device, still staring at Irisa.

“There’s a fight breaking out in Darby Square,” Amanda said through the hailer. “Nothing major yet, but someone needs to put an end to it before they take it to the NeedWant and fuel the fire with alcohol.”

“We’ll be right there,” Irisa answered, not pausing for Berlin to speak.

“Thanks,” Amanda said before disconnecting.

“Come on, let’s go,” Irisa said, halfway out the door before she could finish her sentence. Her excitement over being handed an excuse to leave the house was palpable. 

“You can handle it. As Amanda said - It’s nothing major, and I want to get settled in here.”

“Are you sure?” 

Berlin stood tall, mimicking a fighting stance. “I’m not afraid of ghosts.”

”Then enjoy your haunted house,” Irisa said as she turned to leave. “Call me in an hour to let me know you’re not dead or else I’ll come looking for you.”

“If you don’t hear from me, be sure to bring the Ghostbusters,” Berlin joked as Irisa bounced down the stairs. “Not that I think this house is haunted,” Berlin mumbled as she heard the door close downstairs.

“And even if it is haunted…” Berlin crossed her arms as silence engulfed the empty room. “Well, if it is, I’m sure the ghost and I will be good friends, right ghost?”

Berlin arched her eyebrows genuinely unsure if she would get a response or not, but she was met with silence.

“Fine.”Berlin shrugged in resignation. “I promise not to read your journal if we can be friends.”

The lights flickered, and Berlin smiled. 

“See, nothing to worry about.” Berlin flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”


End file.
